State of California
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
DIVISION OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
INSPECTION NUMBER - 125894956 060/00
My name is <deleted>
My home address is 19625 Highway 79 Gilman Hot Springs
I am employed by Golden Era Productions
as a General Manager
I have been employed her for a period of approximately 13 years 0 months
I offer the following statement in the presence of Terry Saville, Division
of Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Industrial Relations,
State of California.
I have known Stacy Meyer for approx 2 years while working at Golden Era Productions. Stacy was responsible for maintenance around the northside estate and some ground work. On 4 June 2000 (deletion) a squirrel got into the electrical vault and was electrocuted. This was very upsetting to Stacy who loved animals and who had a squirrel in a cage near the large house on the hill. On 24 June 2000 I spoke to Stacy at about 3pm. She showed me a squirrel she had in cage. She was catching squirrels & releasing them in the fields on the west end of the property. When I saw Stacy on 24 June 2000 she was very happy & in a very good mood. After the accident with the squirrel in early June, Stacy asked <deleted> (a Golden Era employee) several times about <illegible> squirrel was killed in the vault. She was concerned that it might happen again. As a result a wire mesh was placed over the air vents to the vault. On June 24 2000, after I spoke with Stacy, she again got with <deleted> & asked him how the squirrel could have gotten in the vault & how it was killed. Stacy asked <deleted> if there was a ladder in the vault and how the squirrel would have gotten in the vault.
This was the day before the accident. I assume that Stacy went into the vault with a garden ladder & to see if there was any other way that squirrels could get in the vault. It appears she slipped and fell into the hot wires. On the day of the accident, the manhole cover was in place on the vault. It was not part of Stacy's job duties to work around the electrical vault or do any work on electrical equipment or electrical vaults. Stacy was not instructed to any work in the vault. On the day of the accident Stacy came in early as the schedule on June 25 2000 did not <illegible> until 10:30 AM.
I have given this statement freely and without coercion; it <illegible due to giant black mark over name of witness> pertaining to the above referred accident to the best of <illegible>
Signed, this 27th of June, 2000 Witnessed by Terry Saville
It looked like she slipped and fell into the power lines connected to the transformer. About three weeks ago there was a squirrel that got into <deleted> the vault and was killed. I put screen mesh over the vent pipes so no more squirrels could get in. I don't know why she was in there at all as she does nothing with electricity and is not trained (?). I do know she loves animals and that she has a pet squirrel that she was going to let free. This leads me to think that she wanted to make sure that it was safe for her squirrel and went down to see and slipped off the ladder and fell into the <illegible> lines which killed her. I think she decided to come in early to do this before she started work as I note she is not trained in any electrical work or <illegible>. I feel she did not <unreadable due to blotch from ink on other side> felt it is ok to make sure her pet will not have the same problem as the other squirrel that caused a short by walking across the power lines.
I have given this statement freely and without coercion; it represents the facts pertaining to the above referred accident to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Signed, this 27th of June, 2000 Witnessed by Terry Saville
There are several times I remember where she demonstrated this to protect
or save an animals <sic>. An example of this is the day before the accident
Stacy had seen a squirrel we had in a cage & she was very upset about this
& asked if we could please set it free. I then did & she was so happy whne
I had told her that it was free <illegible> Remember a time when she had
spent hours to find a bird stuck in an attic. She freed it & then spent
another hour to secure the area despite all the heat of the area. She
<illegible> to save < wolves or worms, illegible> too really anything living.
I have given this statement freely and without coercion; it represents the
facts pertaining to the above referred accident to the best of my knowledge
and belief.
Signed, this 27th of June, 2000 Witnessed by Terry Saville
I have given this statement freely and without coercion; it represents the facts pertaining to the above referred accident to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Signed, this 27th of June, 2000 Witnessed by Terry Saville
Stacy's assignment for Saturday was to paint a number of exterior woodwork areas [of Building?] #1. About 150 square feet. [Also?] her assignment was to recoat some exterior wood furniture with oil - a penetrating oil finish.
I did not see her on Sunday and had not given her any assignment for Sunday yet.
[?] 27 June 2000 Regarding the vault in question, Stacy had asked me about this vault the day before, as I wrote in the first write-up, and I let her know in no uncertain terms that is a high voltage volt [sic] and very dangerous, don't go in there. I also had answered her questions about that vault several weeks earlier (when the squirrel got electrocuted in there) and let her know emphatically that it is 7000 volts, very dangerous, don't go in there. That only [?] goes in there and only when the power is shut down first.
[?] 27 June 2000
II Postmortem charring of head, neck, torso, and extremities
CAUSE OF DEATH: Electrocution
"I hereby certify that I, Manuel R Montez, MD, Forensic Pathologist, have
performed an
autopsy on the body of an unidentified female, U00-23, on the 27th day of June,
2000,
commencing at 10:30 am., in the mortuary of the Office of the Riverside County
Sheriff
Coroner. This autopsy is performed in the presence of Dr. Fajardo"
External Examination: The body, identified by an affixed name tag, is of a well developed, average framed, charred, approximately 65", approximately 130 pound, white woman whose appearance is obscured by charring The head is extensively charred; however, there is a small area of brown hair over the posterior aspect of the scalp. The hair is approximately 3" in length The character of the irides conjunctivae. ears, facial features, nose, and oral cavity is indeterminate There are natural teeth in the oral cavity There are no palpable facial fractures. The neck is straight The anterior and posterior aspects of the torso appear well developed The genitalia of a normal adult female. The anus is patent The extremities are well developed The character of the nails is indeterminate.
There are no discemable scars or tattoos POSTMORTEM CHANGES: Rigor mortis is not present; lividity is not apparent the body is cold to touch CLOTHING: There are charred fragments of clothing accompanying the body The hands are not bagged THERAPEIPTIC PROCEDURES: None iyNJI)ENTIFW:.D FFMAI.F i~J00-23I2O()O~347" 'j INJURIES, EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL: The body from the head to the knee cap anteriorly and to the lower buttocks posteriorly is completely charred. When first viewed, the upper arms of the decedent are contracted upwards; the neck is extended; the back is arched backward, There are heat fractures of the left elbow and left wrist. There are heat fractures of the right wrist. The right hand is completely charred. There is a large skin-split defect over he right side of the anterior aspect of the torso. There is a large open defect over the right side of the torso exposing the inferior aspect of the right pleural cavity and the superior aspect of the fight side of the peritoneal cavity. The right lung, diaphragm, and right lobe of the liver are charred. The facial features are markedly distorted secondary to charring. The scalp is almost completely charred The charred skull is intact. There is no skin sparing of the upper arms, forearms, wrists, or hands.
There is a 1/2" abrasion over the medial aspect of the left knee.
There is no internal trauma of the head or torso Internal Examination:
HEAD: See INJURIES. The skull is without fracture. There is no epidural, subdural, or subarachnoid hemorrhage. The dura is unremarkable. The leptomeninges are unremarkable. The extremely pale and soft brain weighs 1220 grams and has normal distributions of cranial nerves and cerebral vessels. There is no significant atherosclerosis. There are no focal lesions.
NECK: The cervical vertebrae, hyoid bone, and posterior aspects of the tracheal and laryngeal cartilages are without trauma. There is focal charring over the anterior aspects of the tracheal and laryngeal cartilages. The upper airway is not obstructed with foreign bodies. The tongue is unmarketable in situ BODY CAVITIES: The organs are in their normal situs without adhesions. There are no abnormal fluid accumulations. The adipose tissue is otherwise unremarkable. The peritoneal and parietal surfaces are without blood-staining.
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: The pericardium is without exudate or adhesion. There is no excess fluid in the pericardial sac. The heart weighs 260 grams. The epicardial surface and fat are unremarkable. The heart has a normal distribution of patent coronary arteries The myocardium is uniformly dark red without fibrosis. The walls are not hypertrophied. The endocardium, papillary muscles, chordae tendineae, and four cardiac valves are unremarkable. The chambers are not dilated. The venac cavae and pulmonary arteries are without thrombus or embolus. The aortic arch and great vessels are unremarkable. The aorta is without atherosclerosis. The renal and iliac vessels are unremarkable.
UN I l)FNTIFIED FEMA! E U00~23/2oOo~3477 (;~ ,
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM: The right lung weighs 600 grams; the left lung weighs 660
grams . The pleural surfaces are without blebs or bullae The lungs are without
discrete consolidations or obstruction. There is no infarct. The
tracheobronchial tree and vasculature are unremarkable
LIVER, GALLBLADDER, PANCREAS: The liver weighs 1350 grams and has an intact
dark brown capsule and dark brown parenchyma without focal lesions The portal
vessels are unremarkable The unremarkable gallbladder contains no bile The
extrahepatic bile ducts appear well developed. The pancreas is without focal
lesions
HEMIC AND LYMPHATIC SYSTEMS: The spleen weighs 230 grams and has an intact
light purple capsule and dark red parenchyma without focal lesions. Lymph nodes
are not
identified.
GENITOURINARY SYSTEM: The right kidney weighs 100 grams; the left kidney weighs 130 grams. The subeapsular surfaces are smooth. The architecture and vasculature are unremarkable. The ureters maintain uniform caliber into an unremarkable, empty bladder. The internal reproductive organs are unremarkable ENDOCRIINE SYSTEM: The pituitary gland, in situ, is unremarkable. The thyroid gland is charred. The adrenal glands are without focal lesions DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: The esophagus and gastroesophageal junction are unremarkable.
The stomach contains approximately 40 ml of brown liquid without tablets or pills. The gastric niucosa and wall are unremarkable. The small intestine, appendix, and large intestine are unremarkable.
MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM: The vertebrae clavicles, sternuni ribs and pelvis are unremarkable The musculature is otherwise unremarkable TOXICOLOGY: The appropriate specimens are submitted for examinations; a separate report will be issued.
SPECIAL STUDIES: Postmortem radiographs are made and retained.
Manuel R Montez, M.D. «/L Date 7-21-00
Forensic Pathologist
\iRMias
[Next document]
DEPUTY CORONER'S INVESTIGATION SUMMARY
DECEASED MEYER, STACY DEPUTY WILMER
DATE OF DEATH 6/25/00 FILE NUMBER 2000-3477
Notification of the death:
on June 25 2000 at 1229 hours, I received a telephone call from Riverside Sheriff's Dispatch reporting a death possibly resulting from an industrial accident. The dispatcher said the death occurred on site of the Golden Era Production studios. I informed the dispatcher that I would soon be en route.
Scene Description: I arrived on scene at 1340 hours. Golden Era security guards escorted me to the incident location. The deceased was located in an underground electrical vault in a construction area on the northeast side of the complex.
The vault was approximately 10 feet below the ground and contained four electrical transformers. In the middle of the vault was a steel "manhole" cover that had been removed from the opening of the vault. A large storage shed was located approximately 50 yards from the manhole.
Initial Information Obtained:
Upon my arrival, I spoke to Deputy Bob Moquin of the Riverside Sheriff's Department who provided the following information. A Golden Era security guard was patrolling the area when he heard an explosion. The guard said the ground shook and he saw smoke coming from an underground electrical vault As he ran towards the vault, the guard reported that he could not immediately get close to the vault because the ground was "electrified". He radioed for assistance and someone soon arrived with a fire extinguisher. Once the smoke dissipated somewhat workers saw a body at the bottom of the vault. Based on physical characteristics and clothing, the workers identified the body as Stacey Meyer. Meyer reportedly was an employee of the studio and performed general maintenance on the grounds.
Deputy Moquin questioned studio employees further and was told that Meyer was on duty that day but was not supposed to he working in the area. She was also not qualified to work with electrical equipment and had no reason to be inside the vault. The day prior to her death however, Meyer reportedly asked a supervisor about a squirrel that had been electrocuted in the same vault a few weeks prior. She asked about the incident and more specifically, where the vault was located and how to get into the vault. They also said that Meyer had the physical ability to remove the manhole cover from the vault.
For further information regarding the lethal incident refer to Riverside Sheriff's file #DR00177018.
Deputy Coroner's External Examination of the Remains:
The deceased was lying in a prone position on the bottom of the electrical vault. A wooden ladder in an open position was standing near her feet. Her head, upper torso and thigh area were completely charred and were resting between two of the transformers.
[page break]
Most of the hair was burned away, but a "ponytail" was visible. She as wearing
light
colored shorts and white tennis shoes. Both hands were severely charred and
were
resting against the wall of the vault. I noted that the remains of her left
hand was
gripping a wire that ran between the two aforementioned transformers. Her legs
in a
a crossed position with the left foot resting on the bottom rung of the ladder.
The bottom of the right foot was resting against additional wires. A black oily-type substance was seen beneath her upper torso and the transformer to her right. A white powdery substance believed to be from a fire extinguisher covered the contents of the vault and the remains. The bottom of her shoes appeared to be clean with the exception of the white powdery substance. No other evidence was found inside the vault.
Documentation:
I took twenty seven 35 mm photographs of the scene and the decedent. A ring was found at the bottom of the vault and was inventoried on Personal Property Inventory #26722.
Investigation Continued:
Alter leaving the incident site, Deputy Moquin, Investigator Greer and myself went to Meyer's residence. Ken Hoden, general manager of Golden Era, opened the residence and allowed us to enter. I looked through Meyer's belongings but found no note or any other material mentioning suicide.
Medications: Not applicable Transportation:
Coroner's transportation was dispatched to remove the deceased from the place of death to the Sheriff-Corner’s Forensic Center Notification of Next of Kin:
An administrator from the Church of Scientology notified the victim's husband of the death.
Identification: Dental records were obtained and the deceased was positively identified s Stacey Meyer.
Cause of Death:
The cause of death was determined following an autopsy that was performed on June 27, 2000 by Dr. Manuel Montez, county pathologist.
Toxicology:
Toxicological assays were performed on fluids obtained at autopsy Manner of death:
Based on the information I received from the Riverside Sheriff's Department, California Department of Forestry, autopsy findings and other facts ascertained during the course of my investigation, I have classified the death of Stacey Meyer as accidental.
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2 3 Deputy Coroner Tiffany Wilmer 4 Riverside County Sheriff's Department 5 I42OCitrusAvenue 6 Riverside CA, 92507 7 909-34l~8836 8 9 David Petrinovich 10 California Department of Forestry 11 210W. San Jacinto CA.
12 PerrisCA,92570 13 909~766-6690 14 15 Terry Saville 16 Division of Occupational Safety and Relations (Cal ! OSHA) 17 464 W. Fourth St. Suite 332 18 San Bernardino, CA 92401 19 909-383-432l 20 21 Robert Staples 22 Southern California Edison 23 26100 Menifee Rd.
24 Rornoland, CA 92585
25 909-928-8268
25 [Bunch of names blacked out here, but the DOBs are left in.]
26
28 DOB; l1-20-77
29 Golden Era Productions
30
31
32
33
34
35 DOB~03-25~7l
36 Golden Bra Productions
37
38
39
40
41
42 DOB: 02-28-51
43 Golden Era Productions
45
44
46
DR00177018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 4
1 Others Mentioned Continued:
2 3 4 09-29-62 5 Golden Bra Productions 6 7 8 9 10 11 05-05-59 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 03-21-82 19 Golden Era Productions 20 21 22 23 24 25 07-09-55 26 Golden Era Productions 27 28 29 30 31 32 Golden Bra Productions 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Evidence Obtained:
40 41 Forensic Technician Barbara Maestas #N2041 arrived on the scene and took 35 mrn 42 photographs of the scene and victim. She also completed a brief factual diagram of the.
43 scene. Refer to her report for further details.
44 DR 00177018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 5 l Attachments:
2 3 Two pages, Critical Incident log 4 5 Details:
6 7 On 06-25-00, at about 1111 hours, I arrived at 19625 Hwy 79, San Jacinto, in reference to 8 a report of an industrial accident 9 10 On my arrival, I spoke to California Department of Forestry (CDF) Investigator David 11 Petrinovich. He told me he had been dispatched to a report of a subject that had burned in 12 a fire. He stated on his arrival, he discovered an individual that was located inside an 13 electrical vault that was deceased.
14 15 He also advised me that he was told by employees at the location that the deceased 16 individual might have been working on an irrigation system prior to the incident He 17 stated the individual in the vault could possibly a Stacey Myer. He also provided me 18 the name of xxxxxxxxx He stated xxxxxx is the Chief Electrician for Golden Era 19 Productions 20 21 I went to the location of the electrical vault. The vault is located on the north side of Hwy 22 79, approximately 1/8 of a mile north of the roadway, on a slight slope, on the property of 23 Golden Era Productions. As I approached the vault, 1 noticed there was yellow and black 24 barrier tape surrounding the vault in about a 25 foot diameter I later determined the tape 25 had been placed there by CDF personnel. The vault appeared to be a concrete structure 26 approximately 10'x 10' in size. The vault was buried in the ground with approximately 27 two feet protruding above ground. In the middle of the vault was a standard “manhole” 28 with a steel cover lying on the north rim of the vault cover sleeve.
The cover had rubber 29 material attached to slots on the cover. It appears the rubber was placed there to act as a 30 handle when lifting the cover. There was also what appeared to be clothing that was blue 31 in color positioned on top of a vent tube that was next to the vault opening.
32 33 The ground surrounding the vault was soft dirt containing various sizes of rocks and 34 boulders. There were numerous footprints and tracks in the dirt surrounding the vault. 1 35 looked inside the vault and observed a wooden 6' stepladder covered with a white 36 powder that was in the partially opened position.
37 38 I also observed a human being laying at the bottom of the vault, possibly a white female 39 The individual was covered with a white powder. The individual was lying face down 49 between two electrical transformers with its head facing in a southwest direction The 41 individual's hands were against the west wall and appeared to be severely burned. The 42 right hand appeared to be burned down to about the knuckle area, the left hand was 43 missing and the left arm appeared to be severely burned and the lower portion of the arm 44 was missing up to about just below the elbow.
45 DR 00177018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 6 Details Continued:
3 The head of the individual was severely burned and most of the hair was missing. There 4 appeared to be some hair left in the form of a "ponytail" on the rear of the skull. The 5 upper torso of the individual was also severely burned. I noticed the individual was 6 wearing a pair of unknown colored short pants. The feet of the individual were facing in 7 northeast direction. The individual was wearing what appeared to be white tennis shoes 8 The left foot of the individual was resting of the bottom step of the ladder. The right foot 9 / leg was crossed over the left leg at about the ankle. The bottom of the right foot was 10 resting against one of the electrical transformers in the vault.
11 12 There were no signs of any life in the individual. Based on my observations of the 13 individual and the condition of the body, the subject appeared to be deceased I 14 pronounced the individual dead at 1115 hours.
15 16 The vault appeared to be approximately 8 foot deep based on the height of the wooden 17 ladder located in the vault. The south end of the vault floor appeared to have a black 18 substance on the floor, possibly oil. The vault contained four electrical transformers that 19 appeared to he wired in series (together).
20 21 At about 1120 hours, Robert Staples from South California Edison, arrived at the 22 location. He conducted a safety check of the transformers in the vault by placing a 23 voltage meter on a long pole. He individually checked each connection point on each 24 transformer and advised me that all of the transformers were "de-energized." He also 25 conducted a check of the air inside the vault for the presence of explosive gas His check 26 revealed no dangerous gas was present in the vault 27 28 At about 1125 hours, Deputy Craig arrived on the scene. I briefed him on the situation 29 and directed him to begin compiling a ~~critica1 incident log" (see attached log) 30 3l At about 1130 hours, St McCauley arrived on the scene. I briefed him on the Situation 32 and requested Forensics, the Coroner and Cal I OSHA respond to the scene to assist in 33 the investigation.
34 35 Sgt. McCauley directed the taped off area of the scene be expanded.
Deputy Craig placed 36 "Sheriff"' barrier tape around the location. The scene was expanded to approximately a 37 100 foot diameter from the center of the electrical vault.
38 39 Interview with xxxxxxxxxxx 40 41 I spoke to xxxxxxx about 1155 hours xxxxxxx is a security guard with Golden Era 42 Productions. He indicated to me he was on foot patrol on the north side of Hwy 79 43 between 1000 and 1030 hours. He stated he was about 150 yards northwest of the 44 electrical vault. He stated he heard a loud bang or "pop". He looked in the direction of the 45 noise and noticed smoke coming from the uncovered "manhole." He then proceeded to 44 DR00177'018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 7 1 Details Continued:
2 3 the location. When he got about 100 feet away from the vault, he stated the ground felt 4 "electrically charged." He stated he called the security guard gate and requested shovels 5 and fire extinguishers be brought to the location. He also requested the company 6 electrician respond to the scene to turn off power to the area.
7 8 He told me it took approximately 5~l0 minutes for the power to be turned off in the are 9 After the power was turned oft, he stated the electrician; identified as xxxxxxxx 10 xxxxxxx another security guard and himself approached the manhole to 11 extinguish the fire in the vault.
12 13 xxxxxxx stated that xxxxxxx donned a protective electric suit and began to spray fire 14 extinguisher agent into the manhole. After several minutes, the smoke subsided lie 15 looked into the hole and noticed there was a person lying at the bottom of the vault 16 17 He said xxxxxxx then called for assistance on his cell phone He told me be 18 believed the individual in the vault was a Stacey Myer. He stated that Stacy was assigned 19 to perform maintenance tasks in the area. He stated he had not spoken to Stacey today 20 but knew she was on the property because he was told by a gate guard that she had 2l arrived at about 0900 hours.
22 23 xxxxxxx stated that he has known Stacy for sometime. He stated her duties included 24 general maintenance on the grounds. He said he has never seen her in the vault and 25 doesn't know why she would have entered the vault.
26 27 I also asked xxxxx if he felt that Stacey could have removed the metal cover from the 28 vault He stated Stacey had the ability to lift heavy items in her position as a maintenance 29 worker.
30 31 I asked xxxxxxx if anything inside or outside the vault had been moved or touched. He 32 pointed to two fire extinguishers and a shovel that had been brought the location to 33 extinguish the fire. He said the items are exactly in place as he remembers. He could not 34 provide any other information regarding the incident.
35 36 Interview with xxxxxxxxx 37 38 I spoke to xxxxxxx at about 1226 hours. He told me he is the Chief Electrician for 39 Golden Era Productions. He stated he was advised by a gate guard at about 1015 hours 40 that there was an electric problem of the north side of the property.
He proceeded to the 41 site where the failure was reported. On his arrival, he saw heavy black smoke coming 42 from an electrical vault. He then proceeded to another electrical vault that is located 43 approximately 300 yards west of the vault that was emitting smoke. He indicated that he 44 shut down all the power to the north side of the property.
45 46 D~00177018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 8 1 Details Continued:
2 3 He then donned a "electrical shock prevention suit" and proceeded to the vault where the 4 smoke was coming from. On his arrival, be began to spray fire extinguisher agent into the 5 vault. He stated he sprayed for about 45 seconds. He said the smoke began to dissipate 6 As the smoke cleared, he observed that a person was lying at the bottom of the vault.
7 8 I asked him if he knew who the individual lying in the vault was. He stated that it was 9 Stacey. I asked him if Stacey was assigned to perform any electrical work oil the 10 property. He stated that she was not. I asked him why he feels she entered the vault. He 11 felt that she might have been working on an irrigation system control box. He believed 12 she might have entered the vault to check for an electrical malfunction that might have 13 occurred in the irrigation system. He also stated she might have thought the irrigation 14 control box received its power from inside the vault. He told me there is no electrical 15 connection between the irrigation control box and the vault.
16 17 He pointed out the location of the irrigation control box to me, The box was located 18 approximately 6 feet away, southwest of the opening to the vault. There were several 19 other electrical connection boxes also in the same area as the irrigation control box.
20 21 I asked him the last time he was involved with any maintenance in the vault. He told me 22 he performed some work in the vault approximately three weeks ago. I asked him if the 23 vault was covered when he completed the maintenance work. He stated the vault cover 24 was placed back into position after completing the maintenance.
25 26 I also asked him about the rubber hose that was wrapped around the manhole cover. The 27 rubber appeared to be used as a handle to assist when lifting the cover. He stated he 28 wasn't sure, but believed the rubber was attached to the cover when he was performing 29 maintenance three weeks ago.
30 31 I asked him about the presence of the ladder in the vault. He stated the ladder was not 32 inside the vault when he had performed maintenance in the vault three weeks ago. He 33 feels Stacey had taken a ladder that was stored inside a storage shed that was about 25 34 feet from the vault and placed it in the vault to gain entry. I later observed several ladders 35 of various sizes that were stored in the storage building next to the vault.
36 37 I asked him if he had entered the vault after extinguishing the fire in the vault. He stated 38 once he saw there was a person in the vault, he did not attempt to enter the vault. He then 39 stated he removed his protective suit and placed it on top of a vent tube next to the 40 opening of the vault. He could not provide any farther information regarding the incident.
41 42 I then looked at the area under the irrigation control panel. The ground was soft dirt. I 43 noticed a shoe impression just below the control box. The impression appeared to be die 44 same pattern as the bottom of the tennis shoe of the individual lying in the bottom of the 45 vault. That area was secured for processing.
46 DR ~0177 018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 9 1 Details Continued:
2 3 Interview with xxxxxxxxx 4 5 At about 1259 hours I spoke to xxxxxxx. xxxxxxx is an employee of Golden 6 Era Productions xxxxxx stated he was at the main entrance of the property when he 7 heard a call of a fire and electrical problem on the north side of the property at about 8 1000 hours He stated he went to the location with xxxxxxxx On his arrival at the 9 scene, he remained clear until the power to the vault had been disconnected After the 10 power was disconnected he went to the opening of the vault and assisted xxxxxxx 11 with extinguishing the fire 12 13 As the smoke cleared from the vault, he observed an individual lying at the bottom of the 14 vault. He stated he immediately recognized the individual as a person he knows as Stacey 15 Myer. He stated he used his cell phone and called the main gate security guard He told 16 the guard that there was a person burned at the location and for the guard to call an 17 ambulance He then said after a few minutes, he realized that the injuries appeared to he 18 fatal to the victim and re-contacted the gate guard via his cell phone.
He then advised the 19 gate guard to contact the sheriff's department for a deputy to respond to the incident 20 2l I asked xxxxx how he knew the individual lying in the vault was Stacey.
He told me 22 he had been friends with Stacey's lather for many years and knows Stacey very well He 23 recognized Stacey from the build of the individual, the ponytail, and That she was 24 assigned to work in this area.
25 26 I asked him if he knew any reason why Stacey would have gone into the vault. He said he 27 did not know why she was in there. He said he has never seen her in the vault at any time 28 I asked him if Stacey had performed any electrical work. He said he did not believe she 29 had done that type of work.
30 31 I also asked him if he feels Stacey had the ability to move the metal manhole cover He 32 felt she possessed the physical strength to do so.
33 34 Interview with xxxxxxxxx 35 36 At about 1309 hours, I spoke to xxxxxxx. xxxxxxxx is a security supervisor at 37 Golden Era Productions. He told me he was advised by radio that the north side of the 38 facility had lost power and that smoke was coming from an electrical vault on the north 39 side of the facility.
40 41 He then advised xxxxxxxx who was at the main guard gate, that there was an 42 electrical problem on the north side of the facility and that he needed to respond ~ 43 ascertain the problem.
44 45 xxxxxxx stated that he also responded to the scene and observed the smoke coming from 46 the electrical vault. He then returned to his guard post prior to the fire being extinguished DR 00177018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 10 1 Details Continued:
2 3 by xxx. A few minutes later, he received a telephone call from xxxxxxxxx.
4 xxxxxxx advised him to call an ambulance. xxxxxxx stated he called the American 5 Medical Response Ambulance Company (AMR) on their business line to advise them 6 they had a burn victim and requested they respond to the scene for medical aid 7 8 About 2 or 3 minutes later, xxxxxxx stated he received another telephone call from 9 xxxxxxx advised him to call the sheriff's department to have a deputy respond 10 to the scene. xxxxxxxx could not provide any farther information 11 12 At about 1340 hours, Forensic Technician Maestas and Deputy Coroner Wilmer arrived 13 at the scene. I briefed both of them on the incident and what information had 14 discovered up to this point in my investigation. Deputy Coroner Wilmer provided me a 15 coroner case number, #2000-3477.
16 17 1 directed Forensic Technician Maestas to take overall photographs of the scene and of 18 the deceased victim in the vault. I also indicated to Maestas where the possible footprint 19 was located that might have belonged to the victim. I directed her to photograph he 20 possible footprint. I also requested Maestas to draw a diagram of the vault and 21 surrounding footprint (refer to Maestas's report for farther details).
22 23 investigator Terry Saville from the Division of occupational Safety and Relations (Cal 24 OSHA) arrived on the scene at about 1345 hours. I briefed him on the circumstances 25 surrounding the incident. He then began his own parallel investigation regarding any 26 safety issues I violations.
27 28 Interview with xxxxxxx 29 30 At about 1350 hours, I spoke to xxxxxx. xxxxxxx is the Supervisor of 31 Maintenance for Golden Era Productions. I asked him if be was the supervisor for Stacey 32 Myer. He stated that he was. I asked him to describe her duties to me.
He stated Stacey 33 was responsible for light maintenance around the facility. He said Stacey has number of 34 different maintenance tasks. He said she did several tasks from painting to landscaping to 35 changing light bulbs. He told me today was a normal workday for Stacey.
I asked him if 36 he has ever seen Stacey work on any lawn sprinkler systems on the facility. He said he 37 had never seen her work on any lawn sprinkler systems. I also asked him if Stacey has 38 ever performed any electrical maintenance work. He stated that he has never seen her 39 work on anything electrical with exception of changing of light bulbs.
40 41 He also stated he has never seen Stacey working in or around the vault.
He doesn't know 42 why Stacey would enter the vault. He stated that he last saw her on Saturday night at 43 about2000hours.
44 4~I 45 1 also asked him about Stacey's physical and mental state. I asked him if Stacey would 46 have the ability to lift and p~ a metal manhole cover. He told me Stacey has the ability DR 00177 018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 11 1 Details Continued:
2 3 to lift and move heavy items. He said he has seen her in the past lift heavy tables an(1 4 other heavy items. He also stated that Stacey seemed fine mentally, she was happy and 5 not depressed the last time he spoke to her.
6 7 1 asked xxxxx if he could think of any reason why Stacey would remove the cover from 8 the vault, place a ladder inside and enter the vault. He told me he had no idea why she 9 would do that. He again indicated to me that she had no reason to be inside the vault He 10 could not provide any information regarding the incident.
11 12 Interview with 13 14 At about 1407 hours, I spoke to xxxxxxxx. xxxxxx is an employee of Golden Era 15 Productions. She told me she spoke to Stacey earlier in the day at about 0915 hours in her 16 office She said Stacey seemed fine and was happy and not depressed. She said Stacey 17 did not indicate to her that she was going to do any specific task that day. Carli said they 18 had light conversation for few minutes. After talking, they both went on their separate 19 ways 20 21 I asked xxxx about Stacey's physical strength. She told me that Stacey is very strong for 22 a girl and has seen her lift heavy objects on occasion. I asked her if she knew of any 23 reason why Stacey would enter the electrical vault. She stated she had no idea why 24 Stacey would enter the vault. I asked her if Stacey was having any problems or conflicts 25 with anyone. She told me she was not aware of any problems or conflicts 26 27 At about 1415 hours, Investigator Greer arrived on the scene and assumed control of the 28 investigation. I briefed him on the situation and the information I had gathered up to this 29 point in my investigation.
30 31 Interview with xxxxxxxx 32 33 At about 1445 hours, I spoke to xxxxxxx. xxxxxxx is responsible for 34 maintenance repair of the company water system. He told me that he is responsible for a 35 water pump and water supply line that runs along a firebreak on the property He told me 36 he has nothing to do with any of the landscape sprinkler Systems He stated that he has 37 known Stacey for about a year. He said he has never seen her work on any electrical or 38 water sprinkler system on the property. He also stated he had not seen Stacey working 30 today. He was unable to provide any further information regarding the incident 40 41 Re-interview with xxxxxxxxxxx 42 43 At about 1515 hours, I was contacted by xxxxxxx. xxxxxxx told me he now recalls 44 speaking to Stacey on Saturday evening about a squirrel that was electrocuted in the same 43 vault about three weeks ago. He said that Stacey asked him several questions about the 44 death of the squirrel. He also said that Stacey was fond of small animals DR()0177'018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 12 1 Details Continued:
2 3 He said Stacey asked him about detail on how the squirrel died in the vault. She also 4 asked him how the vault was opened and the use of a ladder to gain entry to the vault He 5 stated that Stacey seemed quite curious and concerned how an animal could get into the 6 vault. He was unable to provide any farther information regarding the discussion with 7 Stacey and the vault 8 9 At about 1540 hours, the California Department of Forestry (CDF) conducted a briefing 10 on the procedures for removing the victim from the vault. Duties were assigned and 11 Investigator Greer briefed rescue personnel on how he wanted the victim to he removed 12 from the vault to preserve any possible evidence.
13 14 Robert Staples from Southern California Edison returned to the scene at about 1558 hours 15 and conducted a recheck of the vault to ensure that all the power was still deactivated 16 His check indicated that power was de-energized from the vault.
17 18 Staples told me the transformer connectors in the electrical vault where the victim was I 9 located are bare and are not insulated. He stated any electrical vault that is operated by 20 Edison is fully insulated and that entry can be made with power energized without injury 2l to any persons in the vault. I also asked him to estimate the weight of the metal manhole 22 cover. He told me the weight was between 150 and 200 lbs 23 24 At about 1645 hours, a CDF fireman was lowered into the vault via a rope hoist. The 25 victim was prepared for removal from the vault by rescue personnel.
While preparing the 26 victim for removal, the fireman stated the victim's left hand I arm appeared to be resting 27 on one of the wires that were coming from one of the transformers, The fireman also 28 located and recovered a watch that possibly belonged to the victim. It was located 29 approximately 3 feet to the west from where the victim was found. The fireman also 30 located a yellow metal ring that was found under where the victim was lying Deputy 31 Coroner Wilmer took possession of the watch and ring.
32 33 The victim was brought to the surface. The victim was severely burned from the waist up 34 The individual was not visually recognizable. There were exposed ribs and the victim's 35 skin was burned away in most places above the waist. There were no other signs of 36 trauma to the victim other than the massive burning to the upper torso, arms, bands and 37 head area.
38 39 Forensic Technician Maestas took photos of the bottom of the victim's shoes and overall 40 photos of the victim. There did not appear to be any oil or grease on the bottom of the 41 victim's shoes. The victim was then placed into a "body bag" and transported to the 42 coroner's office by coroner's transport at about 1725 hours.
43 44 At about 1728 hours, Investigator Greer, Deputy Coroner Wilmer and myself responded 45 to 750 North Kirby #12B, Hemet in reference to secure property that belonged to the 46 victim. We were taken to the location by xxxxxx. xxxxxx is the general manager for DR ~0177 018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 13 1 Details Continued:
2 3 Golden Era Productions. We arrived at the location at about 1738 hours.
xxxxxxx 4 unlocked and opened the door to the victim's apartment, We entered the apartment and 5 noticed the apartment was shared by several individuals. xxxxx identified which area of 6 the apartment was occupied by the victim. The victim's bed was made and she had 7 clothing stored in a small dresser next to the bed. There was also a small nightstand next 8 the bed that also contained clothing. We looked in her belongings and under the bed We 9 did not find any writings or notes indicating any mention of suicide.
The victim's area 10 was neat and well kept 11 12 Deputy Coroner Wilmer decided not to recover any property belonging to the victim, It 13 was difficult to determine what property belonged to the victim without any roommates 14 present. We left the apartment at about 1747 hours.
15 16 My investigation discovered the victim for reason unknown, entered the electrical vault 17 Statements from persons familiar with the victim indicated she had no reason to enter the 18 vault. Her direct supervisor stated she had no duties inside the vault.
He did indicate the 19 victim had some interest about a ground squirrel that was electrocuted in the same vault 20 approximately three weeks ago. The victim asked her supervisor questions regarding how 21 to enter the vault She asked if a ladder was necessary to enter the vault. He also indicated 22 she seemed curious about the vault and the safety of the squirrels that occupy the area. He 23 described her as having a strong liking for small animals.
24 25 There were no signs of any work on any water sprinklers systems on the property other 26 than the irrigation control box panel being open.
27 28 Statements from the people that know the victim also indicated she was physically strong 29 and would have the ability to move a 15O-2OO lbs. steel metal manhole cover. I was 30 unable to locate anyone that could provide me information regarding the manhole cover 31 being previously opened or being removed by the victim. The chief electrician stated 32 after working in the vault three weeks ago, the cover had been placed back into the closed 33 position He was unaware of any other maintenance in the vault since that time 34 35 It appears the ladder used was taken from a storage building that was adjacent to the 36 electrical vault. It is unknown if the victim positioned the ladder in the vault or was 37 placed there by another person.
38 39 The bottom of the vault under the victim appeared to have a dark oil substance on the 40 floor. It was not determined if the substance was on the floor prior to the victim's entry ~) 41 the vault or the substance was there as result of the victim's death.
The victim's shoes 42 did not reveal any signs of oil on the bottom of them.
43 44 Based on the position of the victim's arms and hands, it appears the victim was falling at 45 the time of contact with the electrical wires in the vault. It appears the victim was trying 46 to catch herself against the south wall of the vault. It appears the victim's left arm or DR 00177018 CONTINUATION SHEET PAGE 14 1 Details Continued:
2 3 hand made contact with the electrical connection on the transformers or wire 4 connecting to two of the transformers. The victim was instantly electrocuted and burned 5 beyond visual recognition.
6 7 The interior of the vault did not contain any evidence that the victim had inside prior to 8 the incident. There were no tools or items indicating the victim had been performing any 9 maintenance in the vault. There were no signs or evidence that the victim was pushed or 10 thrown into the vault. There were also no indications that the victim committed suicide.
11 The death appears to be accidental.
12 13 This case is being continued to investigations for follow-up with the coroner's office f()T 14 positive identification of the victim and cause of death.
15 16 No farther information was obtained by me.
17 18 Status: Open / CD~2